Mirror of Life
by littlemikey
Summary: When two brother being sick, they help each other.
1. Chapter 1

_**I don't own TMNT**_

Raphael had finally found a new muffler to boost his red motorbike. In fact, he was gone at the dump, without be notice by nobody. And he had had luck.

Under the dust, the muffler revealed be much brilliant and maybe new.

"Well!" Raph smiled: "Now, I going to back home with my trophy!".

He jumped down from small bump of iron materials, being careful at the big protrusions of old rusty materials.

"AHHHH!" he screamed, gripping the golden eyes and the teeth.

Without leave fall his precious muffler from under the right arm, he saw the provenance of his pain.

From a deep cut, he noticed a wake of blood on his left shinbone.

Raphael panted at the shooting pain and he reached the soil immediately. Under a street lamp, the damage was evident... and was a problem.

The good thing, maybe, was the lack of fracture and, of consequence, Raph could manage the situation 'cause Donnie had teached his how make.

A kind hand leaned on his shoulder, causing Raph a bit of fear. With a tug, the red turned growling but then he softened.

The Professor.

An intelligent tramp and friend of Donnie.

"Professor!" Raph murmured surprised.

"Have you found something of interesting, Raphael?" he smiled, with the hands behind the back.

"Oh, you can swear!" Raph underlined radiant: "I found an almost new muffler!".

"There is a theory that confirm that who search find!" the Professor explained.

Raph nodded but when he done a step, he yelped at the pain that his leg shot. His body stiffened and the Professor noticed immediately the red wake was dripping from that wound.

"Is better if you clean that cut, my young green friend".

The turtle nodded and greeted him; he picked up all his energies and jumped as an Olympic athlete the iron enclosure. His red motorbike was parked under another street lamp.

Raphael laced his helmet and roared away, happy to have found a "beautiful muffler".

At the lair, Mikey was reading a comic and Leonardo watched the TV with Donnie. Were almost the 12:40 am and neither Splinter succeded to close the eyes. All the Hamatos had the growing worry about Raphael's delay.

He was gone at the 10:10 am...

Why this delay? What was the matter?

"You Believe that Master Splinter will punish him?" Donnie asked tiredly.

Leonardo didn't remove the eyes from the TV: "Maybe".

Michelangelo sighed bitterly: he hated when Raphie was reproached. He closed his comic and straightened himself, sitting at the crossed legs on the floor.

Mikey searched in the envelope of the chips and he scared when something moved inside. Klunk's little head came out, mewing and licking his muzzle dirty of chips.

"Do you like chips, really?" Mikey whispered it, kissing the forehead.

The little ball of orange fur meowed in positive and it gone in his basket to sleep.

"This kitty knows how to conquer, eh?" Donnie smiled.

"Yeah!" Mikey giggled, yawning.

Leonardo softened himself: "Go to sleep, little brother. You're tired".

Mikey denied, also if he would wanted sleep. He wanted to see the angry expression of the hot head and for this, Mikey still waited.

Luckly, in that moment, Raphael was back, greeting all hastily to run in the bathroom.

The three brothers exchanged a perplexed look 'cause they didn't know to say.

"Beh... when escapes, escapes! No?" Mikey giggled.

He stood up to go in his room and to sleep...

**_I hope you like it... and please, you review my work... and tell about the mistakes... I'm still inexpert... :(_**

**_But... I wanna learn! _**  
**_Thank you!_**


	2. Chapter 2

About one week later, Raphael had thought well to wrap his wound in some gauzes. He had explained that he had scratched and the muffler gone well on the motorbike.

Nobody was worried if those gauzes were always on Raph's shinbone, but Mikey had noticed something wrong.

A saturday morning of november, Raphael got up very late, at 10:30 pm and with strong headache. He couldn't keep the eyes open 'cause the lights not so intense flooded his eyeballs of tears.

He had a pale colorful and soft sweat's layer on the forehead. Ignoring Donatello sat at his bench by work, he sat on the sofa, with a hand on the forehead.

He neither didn't notice that the TV was off.

The silent of the lair was interrupted by the "plin" of the kitchen's tap. On the table, there was a cup of milk and the cereals. It was Raphael's breakfast.

Mikey and Leo were to chat on the last Foot Clan's sightings and of worse conditiones of Mikey's serious cardiac arrhythmia.

Donnie left his welding to go near Raph.. He wanted to understand what was wrong. Nobody had waked the red turtle 'cause the night before he was trained till late, like punishment of Master Splinter. (it was always reported on the delay in the dump).

"Raph" Donnie called soft.

The red lifted up his eyes injected of blood and he didn't answer. Raph had hot but cold too; the leg's wound throbbed gently.

"Are you ok?".

The red denied with the head: "I've headache".

The purple worried himself and he sat next to him, studying Raph carefully. Donnie's hand touched Raph's forehead but his attention fallen on Master Splinter's room.

Raph didn't want to show weak...

"Raphie! Mikey shouted happy, running to hug him.

The red ignored the buzzing in his ears provoked by the echo of Mikey's voice and he rejected the embrace.

Raph repelled the little bro with a hand on the forehead and he sighed seriously.

He didn't own the energies to hold up a simple discussion with Leo.

"Better late that never, right?" Leo smiled.

Raph ignored him but his stomach muttered: Mikey caressed his hand and saw him with sparking eyes of joy.

How Mikey could be of good humour, knowing that his cardiac arrythmia was really made worse lately?

"There is some milk that wait you. If you want, I heat it for you!" Mikey proposed.

"Ok" Raph smiled.

"Well, my son. Let's start the second practice for today" Splinter expressed.

Don and Leo nodded while Mikey relaxed the shoulders, knowing that he could not follow his brothers.

Splinter had forced him at the rest relax, after his last escaped suffocation, due to lacked oxigen at the heart.

This was a delicate solution.

"C'mon, Raphie" Mikey smiled falsely.

The other saw him with melancholy eyes: he knew that his little bro was suffering.

Also if Mikey didn't like to try, he loved so much the exercise, 'cause it allowed him to vent his big uncontainable energy.

Like a valve...

_**Thanks to all the readers and who is giving me advice! I remind you that for an Italian like me it is difficult to write in English ...**_  
_**please ... tell me if there are serious errors and I will make sure to correct them ...**_  
_**Thank you!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Once in the kitchen, Raphael sat at him place, looking Mikey put the milk in a small pan. The orange turtle gave Raph a dish with some biscuits and the red accepted them of good degree.

"You seem... several" Mikey admitted, finally.

The red continued to chew and swallowed. He perceived some stiffness of his jaw. Raph didn't mind it and ignored the worry Mikey's look. He wouldn't never admit, but Raphie loved Michelangelo's good heart.

The little bro, in fact, was worried more for Raphie than for a serious cardiac arrythmia.

"What do you want say?" Raph asked wearily.

Mikey knocked the eyelids and returned at the hot milk: he put it in the cup and gave it to Raphael. The orange smiled and sat next to his elder brother, starting to discover the secret pain in the question.

"Well..." Mikey murmured nervously: "I don't know...".

Raph sighed and swallowed greedily the hot milk, eating another biscuit. He crosses his legs and massaged him forehead. The red had a general indisposition in the body that didn't understand the main cause.

"Leave me lost, Michelangelo" Raph said: "Rather... how are you?".

Mikey smiled falsely and played with the fingers, nervously. He didn't love much speak about the medicines that Donatello remember him to take. In fact, the pills weren't more three at the day, but five.

One after the everyday meals.

"You know... I'm not always happy to take the pills...".

The red frowned the forehead: "The last attack is been awful, Michelangelo".

"I know.." the other whispered, lowering the look.

Raphael saw him sadly: he would have wanted look the real radiant smile of his little bro.

Now, there was just the shadow of his particular light: this was the mask that Michelangelo let down to bottle his desperate emotions.

At the end, the red turtle stood up, decisive to return at the bed. He staggered scarcely but he felt Michelangelo's arm on his shell. Mikey gave him a small smile and they reached Raph's room together... and much slowly...

Raph believed in a passing illness, however.

But soon, he wouldn't have been much convinced...

**_Yes, I know. This is a very short chapter, 'cause it's an introduction for the real juice of this story. Originally, this was an One-Shot of 7 pages... (in Italian, we have the passion to describe always in minimum particulars). Thank you for who read and comment... your help is most important for me!_**  
**_Thanks again and... don't forget to tell me about mistakes! I wanna learn! :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

More days passed, more Raph got worse. The headache was continued, in spite of all the analgesics that he had taken for hand of Donatello. But now, he knew that his body got fever.

He burned as on the fire, also if he trembled for intense cold. Raph hated being sick but once more, he didn't understand the reason. Splinter made him visit once or twice at the day, fastening himself didn't find Raph out the bed.

Although Raph would have liked, he didn't be in forces. It was already something lift the arm to cover the eyes from turned on light. Donatello had said that the body's temperature was more 39°.

He had to rest in the bed and to keep absolute rest.

Raph was immersed in his thoughts and in the dark when he noticed his door open itself gently. From a soft shadow, he recognized Michelangelo.

"Raph?" he murmured: "Are you awake?".

The red recognized the tears in his little bro's voice. He tried to move but his body was subordinate at irritating muscle stiffness. Only thing he could do was breathe quietly.

"C'mon" Raph told him, ignoring the jaw's pain.

The orange accepted immediately and without turn on the light, he sitting on Raph's bed.

The dim light of the light highlighted the tears to roll on his pale cheeks.

"What happen, Mikey?" Raph asked, perplexed.

Mikey rubbed the tears: "I'm worried, Raphie...!".

"For what, Chibi-Cute?" the red formulated, using a tender nickname.

"For you..." he squeaked, sobbing without control.

The red turtle felt a grasp at the heart: he hated the tears of his brother fell for him.. How many time he had ill-treated him? Raph didn't deserved his compassion.

The red growled and tried to reach Mikey's hand: but all his body was in the pain.

"C'mon... come here...".

Mikey remained in silent and he lied down on Raph's breast, listening his regular breath. The body of elder bro was boiling: unfortunately, the fever was in increase.

Michelangelo was scared, but taking a deep breath, he tried to relax himself, 'cause he knew that the anxiety wasn't healthy for him.

He smiled when Raph's hand caressed softly his head. But he didn't know Raph was very tired and the head knocked painfully; the red wanted the pain would stop to wring his poor weak body.

Raph was eating, is true... but, strangely his body released every the energies in a short time...

Suddenly, however, Raphael felt Michelangelo devoid of shakes, from previous tears. He tried to smile, in spite of the jaw and facial muscles hadn't collaborate much. He looked the ceiling and continued to caress the head of his little bro.

"There's a pacific silent, eh?" he said, smiling.

No reply.

"Are you listen me, Mikey?" Raph said again, while his smile disappeared slowly.

Silent.

"Michelangelo?".

The red turtle felt a cold sensation under the fingers: Michelangelo was cold like the marble and he wasn't breathing. A cardiac arrest? NO! He needed call Donatello with urgency!

He tried to shout but his mouth remained closed. His entire face was blocked: Raph could knock the eyelids only. The headache was amplified and the body was totally unusable. The shinbone's wound throbbed painfully but Michelangelo needed help.

Raph moved Michelangelo on the bed, while he dragged himself toward the door. Each step was like a stab in the thighs: the feet didn't move yet but his tenacity was still intense!

"I... mu... must re... reach D... Donnie's lab!" Raph articulated with clenched teeth.

Mikey didn't move...

What was going on?

_**And... another chapter is here! I have still much difficulty to understand where I err... Thank you to read like ever... Your help is important for me...!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Donatello was in his laboratory when he listened some choked groans. He taken away the welding goggles, putting them on the workbench and he turned toward the door.

His hazelnut eyes enlarged painfully, when they saw Raphael walk with fatigue, helping himself with the walls.

He reached the bolster of two brothers, with Michelangelo in his arms, in style wedding. Before still that Raphael could actually tell what there was of wrong with the little bro, the dark wrapped up him. Raphs eyes rolled back and he dropped in Donatello's arms.

"RAPH! OH, NO!" Leonardo screamed again: "Mikey doesn't breathe!".

The genius was shocked but when he looked Master Splinter's figure, (whose eyes showed deep sorrow), he frozen.

After a few seconds, Donatello taken up a fire's look 'cause he was knowledge that the life of his brothers derived from him.

The purple turtle supported Raph in his arms, retinue by Leo with Mikey.

_I must save them at each cost!- _he thought...

Donatello had worked uninterruptedly for two hours: Michelangelo had had a cardiac arrest but, luckly, the defibrillator and the oxygen mask had made work very well.

The orange was out danger, for the moment.

As for Raphael, instead, Donnie had had almost a missing heartbeat. Unfortunately, the headache and the fever weren't common influence's symptoms.

From that wound superficially cleaned, was left terrible infection...

The Tetanus.

If he wouldn't try to block infected cells in the brother's body, he would be forced to amputate his lower limb.

Also if he wouldn't never to arrived at much.

So distraught, Donnie massaged the forehead, looking the lab's clock.

The 02:10 am.

His eyes were so tired that even rub them didn't help him.

Suddenly, there was a knocking out the door and Donnie and he went to open it. There were Leonardo (in possessed of a coffee's cup) and master Splinter.

"So what?" Leo whispered, looking his little brothers in a deep sleep.

Donnie, after a sip of the coffee, explained them everything.

That was a critical situation, unfortunately...

"Don... the medicines can't do something?" Leo murmured, looking Raphael.

"Yes, but..." the genius said, bending the head: "I haven't similar medicines here".

The last truth created deep scar in the hearts of the mutants: they didn't believe it... it wasn't happening in earnest!

"M... Mi... Mi... key!" a choked voice shouted.

The three mutants turned immediately: Raphael was awake but his body didn't move.

Donatello showed what was became the shinbone's wound: a big bluish hematoma with some pale burrs of skin dying.

The muscle band was more purple than pink and this confirmed at the infection progressed.

"Shhh, Raph" Leo whispered, caressing him hand: "Mikey is here with us".

"W... whe... re?" the other mumbled, with clenched teeth.

Raph didn't try to move the jaw and he adapted himself.

"There" Donnie indicated, approaching the stretcher with the little bro.

The red wanted to get up at at all costs, but the body refused itself. Suddenly, a strong white flash appeared exactly at the center of the room: our heroes adorned the eyes from the blinding light.

A tall man with a red cloak and a golden mask on his face remembered to Master Splinter that this was...

"Daimyo?!" Leonardo exclaimed amazed: "I.. is a pleasure have you here!".

"Thanks, Leonardo" the other smiled: "Splinter, I'm come soon as possible!".

Don and Leo turned toward the silent rat, in which left hand gripped a small crystal pendant. It was a transparent half-moon with a red cord.

The two recognized the "C Moon", a spiritual pendant, useful in the meditation. That pendant could connect two distant spirits, thanks at a amplification of the C.

"Yes. We need help for Raphael" Splinter sighed.

"What is happened?" the Daimyo answered.

Leo, Don and Splinter told all the unwell that had had Raph and Mikey. The Hamatos suspected the tetanus for Raph and they needed intervene soon.

"Well. I'll order at my Healer to prepare the Medical Pavilion for the urgencies!

The Daimyo, told this, opened again the portal with the sceptre and his green eyes shined intensely. Once more, the mystic staff pointed toward Raphael, raising him softly from his bed.

"M... Mikey!" Raph screamed desperately.

"Don't worry" Leo said: "I occupy myself of him".

The lead in blue taken the little bro in the arms, putting Mikey's head on the plastron. The orange turtle had pale face and Donatello put the oxygen mask on the face, connected it at a small oxygen cylinder on the shell.

"Is it heavy?" the genius asked, with scared eyes.

"No" Leo said. "Mikey is so light... skin and bones too".

"Let's go" Master Splinter suggested, crossed the portal for the first...

Just the time would determine the situation...

**_Another Chapter is here, yes...! With (I know! T^T) so many mistakesssss!) - _**

**_Well... I hope this chapter will not too convoluted... ok... thank you like every time and... I'll update soon :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

An entire week.

Seven day of coma. 168 hour of deep sleep.

A sigh of relief above all for the Hamatos.

Raphael had been kept under observation from the Healers. They had blocked him the tetanus before that it would have infected all his vital organs.

The coma in which Raph was floating was pharmacological.

Leo, Don, Splinter and the Daymio sat on a white bench, looking the crystal walls in that hospital tunnel. They waited impatiently the conditions of two sick turtles.

A Healer with a long white suit, like the face, appeared from a door made totally of water. Our family stood up, curios to know the good or bad news.

"So?" Leonardo said immediately, with wide open eyes.

The Healer made a sign with the head: "The warrior with the Sais is stable".

The Hamatos smiled: this was the most beautiful news in all them life. Suddenly, however, the thought run on Michelangelo. And he?

"They are both better" the Healer said, like if he would have read in them minds.

"Can we see them?" Donatello asked excited.

The Healer nodded and he extended an arm, pointed it toward the water door.

Just few steps separed them from two turtles...

Raphael was really tired of total dark that had kept him almost prisoner for (maybe) much time. He perceived the weight of his body and the internal unwell was disappeared. This was a good sign, isn't?

He wasn't died!

Raphael picked up the energies of the body and he fought, so that he would have opened the eyes. At difference of that he thought, however, he didn't feel a muffled sound. The red didn't recognize the words, but that voice had a familiar tone.

"Raphie?".

That nickname that just a special turtle could called him like this. A brother from indestructible smile and a sparking blue in the eyes.

Michelangelo.

"Raphie, are you awake?".

Jeez! His voice was so hoarse that you could listened some cracks caused by the tears. Mikey was crying, maybe? The sleep wouldn't have supplied the replies that he looked for.

The Hot-head growled with great determination and finally, a white explosion forced him to open the eyelids. From sweet smell of fruit and vegetation, Raphael understood scarcely to not be at home.

He was in a bed when the soft light filtered through the crystal walls. Raphael was grateful that he could move the body and a sweet chafe on his hand, catched Raph's attention.

The red recognized an orange mask that smiled him softly.

"M... Mikey?" the red murmured, after more than seven day of silent.

"Hi, Raphie...".

The red tried to get up and with him great joy, he could do it. Raph was in little bro's arms and in that moment, he noticed a white band with a small orange crystal (similar a half-moon) on his left arm.

"How are you?" the orange answered, caressing the shell.

Raph smiled: "Much better, now... also if I'm a little tired".

The red turtle noticed a with bandage that covered his leg. He left himself again on the pillow. The air was warm and pleasant, as the river's murmur.

"You know... your wound was infected" Mikey said with calm: "The Healers had opted to cut your shinbone, from under the knee".

Raph's golden eyes goggled at a similar story. He turned the head toward blue eyes of the little bro, noting how pale and weak he was.

"I'll be fine. I still have the leg, no?" Raph said.

Mikey nodded and coughed. Raph noticed the deep rings under his eyes and the weigh lost from the body.

What was happened in those seven days?

"I'm waked up three days ago, Raph" Mikey whispered: "I had had a cardiac arrest, that it would have compromised my brain. I have stayed up to you and I haven't never ate".

"W... What?" Raph whispered, devasted: "Why have you done this?".

"Because the brotherly love that you have is great, my son".

From water door, Splinter, Leo and Don assisted a touching scene with large pacific smile. It was beautiful know that between a week, Raph would be returned again to walk on his legs! Mikey had a "counter-beats" for the heart.

The crystal on the band would shined when some complications would have born.

"Is my turn to protect you, Mikey" Raph replied tiredly.

"I know" Mikey smiled: "But... you say that we have exchanged the rolls!".

Everyone laughed: tears of joy fallen down on them faces. It was something that heated the heart, remained icy in this infernal week...

"I love you, Raphie..!".

"Me too, my little Mikey!".

The End

**_Ahah! I'm so very happy, today! Why? I have finished another story! :) Well, I hope this story isn't been too confused... (I'm still learning English and I need practice... :P). At each way, thank you everyone! You have followed me, helping me always! Thank youuuuuu! At soon!_**


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